“Anora” Director Ties With Walt Disney Oscar Wins

Sean Baker had an unforgettable night at the Oscars, racking up multiple wins for his work on Anora. In fact, he just joined an exclusive club, rubbing shoulders with none other than Walt Disney himself. Yes, Baker’s Oscar sweep has officially tied him with the animation legend in a record that’s been standing since the 1950s.

Not bad for a film about strippers and Russian oligarchs, right?

Sean Baker, Director of Anora Ties With Walt Disney

Sean Baker had an unforgettable night at the Oscars, making history by tying one of Walt Disney’s long-standing records. The Anora director took home four awards, matching Disney’s 1954 achievement for the most individual wins in a single year.

Baker dominated the night, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing for Anora, his gripping story about sex workers and Russian oligarchs in Brighton Beach.

One Movie vs Four

Baker’s wins all came from a single film, Anora, whereas Walt Disney earned his four Oscars across multiple projects. In 1954, Disney took home awards for The Living Desert (Best Documentary Feature), The Alaskan Eskimo (Best Documentary – Short Subject), Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom (Best Short Subject – Cartoon), and Bear Country (Best Short Subject – Two-Reel).

It’s uncommon but not unheard of for directors to edit their own films, and Baker, known for his indie filmmaking style, also takes on a producing role in his projects.

Parasite director Bong Joon Ho has also been photographed with four Oscars, but unlike Baker, he didn’t personally win all of them, while he took home awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Original Screenplay, the Best International Feature award was credited to South Korea rather than him individually.

What Is Anora About?

Anora follows 23-year-old stripper Ani Mikheeva (Madison) as she unexpectedly elopes with Ivan “Vanya” Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a Russian oligarch. Additionally, after saying yes to a Vegas wedding, she quits her job and moves into his lavish mansion, only to realize his powerful family isn’t on board.

Vanya’s mother orders his godfather, Toros (Karren Karagulian), to secure an annulment before she arrives in the U.S., sending henchmen Garnik (Vache Tovmasyan) and Igor (Yura Borisov) to handle the situation. What follows is a chaotic chase, with Ani fighting to prove her love, Vanya avoiding confrontation, and the henchmen scrambling to tie up loose ends.

Have you seen Anora yet? What did you think of this Oscar-winning masterpiece? Let us know in the comments below!

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